This sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul-Hijjah, 10 A.H.(632
CE) in the 'Uranah valley of Mount Arafat in Makkah. It was the
occasion of the annual rites of Hajj (the pilgrimage). It is also
known as the Farewell Pilgrimage.
After praising, and thanking Allah (The One True God) the Prophet
began with the words:
"O People! lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this
year I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore, listen carefullyto
what I am saying and Take These Words to Those Who Could Not Be
Present Here Today.
"O People! just as you regard this month, this day, this city as
Sacred, soregard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred
trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners.
Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed
meet your LORD, and that he will indeed reckon your deeds.
"Allah has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all
interest obligations shall henceforth be waived. Your capital is yours
to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has
Judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due
to Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib (Prophet's uncle) be waived.
"Every right arising out of homicide in pre-Islamic days is henceforth
waived and the first such right that I waive is that arising fromthe
murder of Rabiah ibnal-Harithiah.
"O Men! the unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calender in
order to make permissible that which Allah forbade, and to prohibit
which Allah has made permissible. With Allah the months are twelve in
number. Four of them are holy, three ofthese are successive and one
occurs singly between the months of Jumada and Shaban.
"Beware of Satan, for thesafety of your religion. He has lost all hope
of that he will be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of
following him in small things.
"O People! it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your
women but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken
them as your wivesonly under Allah's trust and with His permission. If
they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and
clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for
they are yourpartners and committed helpers. And it is your right that
they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as
well as never to be unchaste.
"O People! listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily
prayers, fast during month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in
Zakat(obligatory charity). Perform Hajj if you can afford to.
"All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a
non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white
has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over
white except by piety and goodaction. Learn that every Muslim is a
brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one
brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to
a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly.
"Do not therefore do injustice to yourselves. Remember one day you
will meet Allah and answer your deeds. So beware, do not astray from
the path of righteousness after I am gone.
"O People! No Prophet or Apostle Will Come after Me and No New Faith
WillBe Born. Reason well, therefore, O People! and understand words
which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QUR'AN and my
SUNNAH (i.e., sayings, deeds, and approvals) and if you follow these
you will never go astray.
"All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those
to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than
those who listen to me directly.
"Be my witness O Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people."
As part of this sermon, the Prophet recited them a Revelation from
Allah which he had just received and which completed the Qur'an, forit
was the last passage to be revealed:
This day the disbelievers despair of prevailing against your religion,
so fear them not, but fear Me (Allah)! This day have Iperfected for
you your religion and fulfilled My favor unto you, and it hath been My
good pleasure to choose Islam for you as your religion (Surah 5, Ayah
3).
The sermon was repeated sentence by sentence by Safwan's brother
Rabiah (RA), whohad a powerful voice, at the request of the Prophet
and he faithfully proclaimed to over ten thousand gathered on the
occasion. Toward the end of his sermon, the Prophet asked "O
people,have I faithfully deliveredunto you my message?" Apowerful
murmur of assent "O Allah, yes!", arose from thousands of pilgrims and
the vibrant words "Allahumma na'm"rolled like thunder throughout the
valley. The Prophet raised his forefinger and said: "Be my witness O
Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people."
Allah: Allah is the proper name in Arabic for The One and Only God,
The Creator and Sustainer of the universe. It is used bythe Arab
Christians and Jews for the God (Eloh-imin Hebrew; 'Allaha' in
Aramaic, the mother tongue of Jesus). The word Allah does not havea
plural or gender. Allah does not have any associate or partner, and He
does not beget nor was He begotten. SWT is an abbreviation of
Arabicwords that mean 'Glory Be To Him.'
s or pbuh: Peace Be UponHim. This expression is used for all Prophets of Allah.
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